


Keep an open mind

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ghost Hunters, Pre-Relationship, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-04-05 15:46:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14047563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: As far as Belle was concerned the only things that went bump in the night were her loud neighbors, the dodgy radiator and her daft cat. Yet here she was working on a show that looked for very different explanations.





	1. Chapter 1

Belle checked her equipment again. Everything was ready, the only thing they were waiting for now was the star of the show. She blew on her hands and tried not to roll her eyes. Work was work, but seriously? A show about ghosts? Difficult lighting conditions she could work around, but how was she supposed to film things that didn’t exist?

The rest of the crew were hovering about tending to their own kit. She caught Jefferson’s eye and tapped her watch; “So, what’s taking him so long, polishing his Ouija board?”

The twinkle in Jefferson’s eye suggested that he was about to make a smutty comment, but thankfully before he could speak another voice interrupted.

“Sorry, couldn’t find my gloves.”

The star of their show strolled over to her with a smile; “And you must be Belle French. I’m Gold, pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

If he’d heard her little dig he didn’t appear upset over it, in fact he gave her a small smile as he said; “Shout out if you feel or see anything. And if you need five minutes just say the word, okay.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

He moved away to have a word with Ariel their techie. Belle wasn’t entirely sure what to make of him. Jefferson sidled up to her with a grin on his face; “Not what you were expecting?”

Belle shrugged; “Not sure yet, see how he is after a dozen takes of the same shot.”

She’d done her research when Jefferson offered her this job. Actually ‘offered’ didn’t quite cover the begging he’d done. He’d come right out and said he needed her and only her, because their last camera guy was a total jerk who like to play pranks on set. After the fourth pleading phone call Jefferson had turned up at her workplace and grovelled. The rest of the baristas thought he was proposing since he was down on his knees.

She’d said yes, the money was good, and it would give her another job in her chosen profession for her resume. It might not be one she was especially proud of, but work was work.

She never went into a job blind if she could help it, she’d set herself up with a notebook and a bottle of wine to watch some episodes of the show. It had been a surprise. Bumps in the Night wasn’t the typical ghost hunter show. The focus was on modern hauntings and the research for each episode was impressive. There were no jump scares or cheap horror film effects. If she’d found this channel hopping one night she would have thought she was watching a respectable documentary, until the thermal imaging and EMF meters and EVP recordings made an appearance. Oddly enough this show didn’t play those up as much as others did.

The host had intrigued her. Only known as Gold, he came across as a proper Mulder, but with a healthy dose of Scully. He was as delighted with a story that they couldn’t explain, as he was when they found a logical explanation. According to Jeff that was their unique selling point, although he said Gold’s accent didn’t hurt either. Belle didn’t disagree with him, that Scottish burr could make a technical manual sound spooky.

Sceptic that she was she wasn’t sure why Jefferson was so adamant she was perfect for the job. Still no one would be able to see her rolling her eyes behind the camera, and a pay cheque was a pay cheque.

Gold clapped his hands together; “Okay, since I was the last one here, it falls to me to ask, are we ready to start?”

Belle jumped as the rest of the crew shouted; ‘First round is on Gold.’ This team clearly had some rituals that she wasn’t up to speed with yet. She gave Jefferson a nod and tried to wrap her mind around the fact she was about to start her first ghost hunt.

 

-o0o-

 

“This week Bumps in the Night is in Springfield, Maine. The street behind me is typical of affordable housing built in the mid-fifties, and it is here where we will be investigating the case of, oh bugger!”

Gold gave a sarcastic wave to the car that had beeped as it drove past. Once the car rounded the corner he twisted his hand and flipped them the bird.

“Go again?”

It was the fourth time they had tried to get this establishing shot; traffic, an enthusiastic dog and one miscommunication where Gold set off in the opposite direction to Belle’s pan had scuppered them so far.

Belle tapped her fingers against her thigh, there had to be a way to get this shot before the light went, or her nose dropped off from the cold.

“Erm, how about we swap positions. There’ll still be the right sort of houses in the background, but the camera won’t be so visible from the road.”

Belle was expecting Gold to huff something divaish about his best side or artistic integrity, but he just shrugged; “Works for me. Where do you need me to start?”

It didn’t take look to reposition. Gold gave her a crooked grin; “I’m walking to my left, yeah?”

She narrowed her eyes, but he was laughing at his own mistake rather than trying to shunt the blame on to her. She relaxed and said; “Yes, please, and keep walking by me once you’ve said the lines.”

Gold glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

“This week Bumps in the Night is in Springfield, Maine. The street behind me is typical of affordable housing built in the mid-fifties, and it is here we will be investigating a case of a Hanging Figure.”

He’d timed his walk so he said the last words two steps before he walked by Belle, which gave her a clear shot of the sun as it dipped behind a bare tree. Gold waited until she lowered the camera; “Nice, you planned that right?”

“Took advantage of the opportunity presented to me.”

He chuckled; “Jeff was right, you are perfect for this job.”


	2. Chapter 2

For a first day on a new job it had gone well. Jefferson had let her have free reign, only stepping in to ask her for a few specific shots when they were filming the research stage. Gold had been easy to work with, he’d made a few suggestions, but never once compared her to their old cameraman and the only frustration he’d shown had been at honking cars. Belle suspected that he was a dog person, because the pooch that messed up one shot had been fussed over and called a ‘Good Doggie’.

It had been ordinary, which Belle had been expecting, because what were the chances she would film a ‘real’ ghost?

They’d wrapped for the day and headed to a quiet local bar, that was cheap and cosy. It was the sort of place that only locals would know about, which confused Belle since Jefferson had said they’d never been in Springfield before.

“We always let Ariel scout out the bar in a new town. She’s got a sixth sense for finding the best places.”

Belle sipped her beer, and was impressed, Ariel certainly had a skill. As he’d promised Gold had bought the first round, although he did pull a face at having to order a cocktail that came with an umbrella, sparkler and a lobster swizzle stick for Jefferson.

“I order the wildest drink on the menu when Gold is paying, anything other than beer or scotch offends his delicate Scottish alcohol sensibilities, one of these days he’s going to break the rules and refuse to order my drink.”

“What are the rules for this thing?”

Gold sat down opposite Belle, his glass of beer looking very plain next to Jefferson’s cocktail; “Have you ever noticed how the last person to arrive is the one who says, ‘Are we ready to start’, like the rest of you haven’t been hanging around while they got their arse in gear? We formalised that, so if you are last on site, you have to say something like that, and then the first round is on you.”

It was a simple little ritual that obviously kept tempers level, knowing that whoever was late had to buy the first round would do that for a crew. Belle had worked on a few jobs that would have benefited for a similar arrangement.

“Is there a penalty for not ordering a drink if it’s your round?”

Ariel laughed; “You have to streak around the motel parking lot. None of us three have done it. Yet, but Jefferson keeps trying to catch Gold out.”

“I’ve still not worked out why Jeff is so keen to see my saggy pale arse jiggling in the cold, but he is a man on a mission.”

Jefferson plucked the umbrella from his drink and tucked it behind his ear; “A man is entitled to his foibles, now to the real business of the evening, the interrogation of the newbie.”

Belle raised an eyebrow and set her pint down; “Okay, let’s do this.”

She’d worked with Jefferson before and knew ‘interrogation’ was a chilled getting to know you twenty questions type thing. He’d once fired a sound engineer on the spot because he insisted on asking new female staff personal, or sexual questions. There would be no pressure to answer anything she was uncomfortable with.

Ariel kicked off with; “What’s your dream film job?”

“I’d love to film theatre. Broadway musical, or an RSC performance, especially at the Globe in London.”

That led them into a conversation about the challenges of such a job. Ariel pointed out that sound levels could be a nightmare with a cast who were used to projecting for the stage. Gold liked the idea of a whole film focused off the main action, so the audience could enjoy all the bits they might have missed. 

Jefferson fired the next question at her; “Pets, you got any? If not, what would you have?”

Gold frowned; “That’s two questions Jeff.”

“Nope! It’s a question with two parts, totally different.”

Belle was so busy giggling at the way Jefferson and Gold bickered like an old married couple that she forgot she had a question to answer until Gold twirled a hand at her.

“Oh right, I own fifty per cent of a cat.”

Ariel wrinkled her nose; “Just to be clear; are you co-parent to a fur-baby, or do you own,” – she made a chopping gesture with her hand, - “half a cat?”

“Ick no. My neighbour and I share Bilbo.”

Gold gave her that wonky smile of his; “Bilbo? Let me guess, he alternates between houses for breakfast and second breakfast?”

“Yep, and every other meal he can wrangle out of us. Eleanor and I have to co-ordinated on his feeding or he’s going to end up a contender for the fattest cat world record.”

While Jefferson went to get the next round of drinks Belle showed Ariel and Gold some pictures of Bilbo on her phone. Ariel cooed and declared a desperate need to pet the ‘darling little ball of fuzz’, while Gold nodded at the screen and asked; “Is that Eleanor?”

It wasn’t the most flattering picture of Eleanor since Bilbo had been sat on her shoulder and decided to flick his tail across her face just as Belle clicked. She’d ended up with a cat tail moustache that had made her laugh so much the picture was a bit blurred.

“Yup, that is my very own living Beatles song neighbour and co-cat owner.”

Gold cocked his head and frowned before he snapped his fingers; “Eleanor Rigby. Wow.”

Belle took her pint from Jefferson and decided to get this bit out of the way early on; “She’s a fan of the show and of you Gold, can I do the awkward request bit?”

He blinked at her, a total lack of understand on his face. Jefferson huffed and rolled his eyes; “She wants an autograph, or a picture. Please try to remember you are the star of our little production, old chap.”

“Oh shite, right, yeah we can do that for her, or you can take a picture now and I’ll type her a message?”

Ariel leaned into Belle and stage whispered; “He just doesn’t want you to see his chicken scratch of a signature. God help you if you have to read any notes he’s written, spider scrawl with numbers scattered in.”

Gold gave her a mock-scowl and then shrugged; “Aye, canne deny that one, at least not with a clean conscious. So, picture and neatly typed message?”

Belle held her phone up ready to snap a picture. She’d noticed today that it took Gold a moment to slip into his on-screen face. She waited and then he grinned and raised his pint. She snapped the shot and handed him the phone.

“That one okay?”

“Bloody hell. Jeff needs to pay you more. You make me look damn good.” 

Gold was not a speed texter, he carefully jabbed each letter with one finger which twirled around as he searched for the next letter. Belle smothered her giggle in her pint as his tongue poke out of the corner of his mouth.

“Here, check it and send it.”

Belle took her phone from him and laughed at the message he had typed.

“Hi Eleanor, Bilbo’s other mother tells me you are a fan. Here’s hoping your nights are ghost bump free, Gold xx”

Jefferson spluttered into his drink; “You realise how filthy that sounds?”

“What? No, it doesn’t. Does it?”

“Too late sent it!”

Gold’s lips moved as he went over the message he had typed. He groaned and dropped his head; “Oh no. I’m sorry. I’ve been working with Jeff too long, I’m numb to double entendres now.”

With his head still down, his arm shot out and covered Jefferson’s mouth with his hand. Jefferson played up the affronted hurt and then laughed; “Okay, Gold’s question for our Belle.”

Gold lifted his head and brushed his hair back with both hands. He looked Belle in the eye and said; “Do you believe in ghosts?”


	3. Chapter 3

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

Belle nibbled her bottom lip as she set her pint down squarely on the coaster. She’d been expecting this question, so had given some thought to her answer.

“I used to, in the same way I used to believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Ghosts are just another fairy tale.”

She’d been focused on her glass as she spoke, when she’d finished she looked up and caught a sad smile on Gold’s face. Was he judging her? No, it didn’t look like judgement, or pity, it was sadder, more personal. How odd.

Jefferson waved an expressive hand; “I take the role of Mulder in our little troop, but for magic not aliens, although I believe in them to, it would be the height of vanity to assume we are alone in the universe.”

Belle hadn’t expected anything less from Jefferson. She’d known him long enough to have heard his excited babbling about various unexplained phenomena. 

Ariel nudged her shoulder; “I’m a full-on season one Scully. The only things that go bump in the night are dodgy pipes, animals and other humans.”

That surprised Belle; her first impression of Ariel had been of a flighty and fanciful woman. Her skill with sound engineering had shown a strong practical streak, but Belle still would have expected her to believe in all this ghost stuff.

Gold sighed; “Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy are lies we tell children to make the world more magical. Ghosts are lies we tell ourselves to make the world less painful.”

His voice was steady, but the depth of emotion in his eyes was heart-breaking. Belle wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she resisted the instinct. She didn’t not know Gold well enough to know if her actions would be welcome, and she didn’t want to overstep on her first day on the job. There was a story behind his words, one that was clearly personal and painful.

Jefferson cleared his throat and said jovially; “Time for trampoline tennis.”

“What?”

Belle looked around the bar wondering what sort of crazy game that could possibly be. Ariel chuckled; “Don’t worry. It’s what we call bouncing ideas back and forth about the episode. Not sure when we started calling it that, but it’s stuck.”

The other three pulled out notebooks from pockets and bags. Belle felt awkward that she didn’t have anything on her, she’d not been warned about this. She was just about to say she’d run back to the motel when Gold slid a brand-new notebook and pen across the table to her. It was a handsome thing, black fake leather embossed with Bumps in the Night logo.

Gold shrugged; “Should have given you this this morning, to welcome you to the crew, but I forgot it along with my gloves.”

“Thank you.”

Belle was a compulsive notebook buyer. She had some lovely ones at home, far too many still unused to justify buying more, not that that ever stopped her. This one was more of a journal, or project book. The paper was a nice thickness, and lightly lined, ideal for making sketches and for taking notes. Pockets inside the covers allowed for the safekeeping of loose paper and there were dividers that could be repositioned. It was something she would have bought for herself.

Gold smiled at her obvious enjoyment of the notebook. He flipped to the back and showed her the printed pages tucked within the pocket there.

“Our most commonly used resources. We do have a few free lance researchers who help out from time to time, but we’re such a small crew that everyone needs to pitch in. I know the pay doesn’t reflect that, but we normally get a decent end of season ratings bonus.”

Belle nodded as she scanned the list. It wasn’t unusual on small productions for everyone to muck in. The experience was always helpful, and the promise of a bonus was a nice thing to look forward to. The list was a mix of normal web addresses for land registry, archives of old maps and ancestry records, then there were the odder items that she supposed she’d have to get used to in this job; Reddit and Tumblr accounts that focused on ghosts and the supernatural.

“With so much of this being on line I surprised you don’t just give us tablets.”

Ariel and Jefferson laughed. Gold rolled his eyes; “You’re not the first to suggest it. I’m old fashioned, I like writing things down.”

“That and he’s terrible for leaving chargers in motels.”

Gold laughed at Jefferson’s comment; “Aye there is that too.”

 

They decided to order food before they got started on the trampoline tennis. There was some friendly bickering about pineapple and its place on pizza. Jefferson was dead against it, while Ariel and Belle were indifferent. Gold was for it, claiming that it was vaguely healthy. Food on the road frequently was deep fried, so getting fruit when you could wasn’t a bad idea. A quick look at the menu proved that salad wasn’t an option. Belle made a note to herself to pick up some apples from a grocery store tomorrow.

After everyone had had a slice or two Gold asked: “So, what do we think of our Hanging Figure?”

Jefferson flicked a piece of pineapple off his slice of pizza and shrugged; “I think this one is going to end up being something mundane.”

Gold wiped his mouth with a napkin; “I think you’re right. No deaths in the property, no missing people, nothing that would suggest a ghostly presence.”

“Not even a creepy feeling, just an empty house. Although I wish the owner had left the carpets in place, the echoes we’re getting from footsteps are annoying.”

The heels of Gold’s boots had caused Ariel some major sound problems. Viewers would never know that Gold had done most of the internal shots in his stocking feet. Belle had managed not to giggle at his ghost Pokémon socks, just.

Belle took her camera out of her bag and flicked through some of the photos she’d taken of the window. There was an outline there that looked like a head and torso hanging from a rope. It was visible from all the angles she’d been able to take a photo from, outside and inside. There was nothing on the glass that would rub off, that had been one of the first things Gold had tested. She dipped a pizza crust in the pot of sour cream and jotted down some ideas.

“What are you thinking Belle?”

As was typical of these things Gold asked his question just as Belle had taken a bite of pizza. She chewed and hurriedly swallowed almost choking herself in the process. Gold grimaced and handed her a glass of water.

“Sorry about that.”

She waved his apology away as she glugged the water down.

“No worries, it happens,” – she looked at her notebook, - “If the window hadn’t been replaced twice I’d say that there was a defect in the glass. Is it possible that this is some long running prank and the window fitter has deliberately put the outline there?”

Jefferson thumbed through his own notebook; “Possible, but the replacements were done by two different owners twenty years apart, both used different companies. Nah, I don’t see it. Besides where’s the money?”

Finding out who would profit from potential haunting was the best way to discover the truth. One of the episodes Belle had watched after she’d accepted the job had used this approach to uncover a brother attempting to scam his siblings out of their inheritance by claiming the house was haunted.

Gold tapped his own notebook and shook his head; “There’s nothing like that here. If anything, the previous owners have lost money because of that window, and the current owner is hoping that we find an ordinary explanation, so he can sell up.”

“Okay so that leaves us with damp, or maybe a structural defect in the window frame? Y’know causing the glass to warp?”

Belle felt her suggestions were weak, but everyone else nodded encouragingly.

“We can look into both of those the day after tomorrow, the owner has given us permission to replace the window.”

“I should set up a camera, maybe two, one inside and one out, to film the window over night after it’s replaced. We might see the Hanging Figure reappear.”

She said it with a smile on her face but received serious nods from the others. She was going to need to remember that this gig might feel like a joke to her but two of the people who could fire her believed in this spooky stuff. Just because the content was on the kooky side didn’t mean that she shouldn’t do a thorough job.

While she’d been mental chastising herself Ariel had said something that had made Gold pull a face. Ariel poked in his direction with a pizza crust.

“Look I know you’re not a fan of them Gold, but they’re expected on a spook show, so we will set them up and show that we used them even if we don’t get anything.”

Ah, this was about the EMF and EVP. She was about to ask why Gold didn’t like them, but he spotted the obvious question on her face.

“It’s daft, but those damn machines give me tinnitus, especially the EVP. But Ariel is right they are expected, so we’ll set them up for the overnight, okay?”

Ariel gave him a happy grin; “Good, it’s usually more of a battle than that.”

“To be fair you do normally ask me about it first thing in the morning before I’ve had a cuppa.”

Ariel turned to Belle; “Did Jefferson warn you about that? Gold is a bear with a sore head before he’s had a cup of tea in the mornings. It’s his only diva-like quality.”

Gold gave a over the top gasp and place his hand against his heart; “You wound me Ariel I’m not that bad at all.”

Jefferson and Ariel both cocked an eyebrow and him and nodded. Gold deflated and flapped a hand at them; “Okay maybe I am,” – he smothered a yawn with the back of his hand, - “and I’m going to be much worse if I don’t call it a night and get some sleep.”

It wasn’t late, but it was heading in that direction and they did have an early start the next day. Belle was surprised when Gold collected the receipts for their meal and drinks. That sort of clerical work normally got shunted off on to one of the women. When she mentioned as much to Ariel on the walk back to the motel, she just shrugged; “Gold likes balancing the books, it’s relaxing for him. I suggested he try yoga, but he laughed at me.”

Belle snorted as she tried to picture Gold in various yoga poses. It was all the funnier because her imagination had conjured suit wearing Gold doing yoga. She was still smiling at the idea when she bid everyone good night and headed into her room.


End file.
